EastEnders viewers witnessed a tearful departure for Bobby Beale (portrayed by Clay Milner-Russell) on Thursday (September 19) evening, but eagle-eyed fans reckon he'll be back after noticing a compelling hint.
Earlier this week, the pie and mash shop employee was left devastated when he caught his girlfriend Anna Knight (Molly Rainford) in a clinch with his best mate Freddie Slater (Bobby Brazier).
Adding to Bobby's heartache, he discovered that Anna had ended her pregnancy without letting him know. Despite Anna's attempts to reconcile, Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) deceived Bobby, claiming she had confessed her feelings for Freddie.
Struggling to deal with the situation, Bobby contemplated moving to the Cotswolds to live with his mum Jane Beale (Laurie Brett), reports the Daily Star.
However, during the latest visit to Walford, Ian Beale (Adam Woodyatt) made desperate attempts to persuade Bobby to remain in the Square, deeply upset by his son's intentions.
Anna's deceit also infuriated Kathy Beale (Gillian Taylforth), who reminded Cindy of how she had put Ian in a similar predicament three decades ago.
A distraught Anna wanted to mend things with Bobby, but Cindy lied again, stating he didn't want to see her and suggesting Anna give him a week's space.
At The Vic, Ian lashed out at Freddie before confronting Anna about her lies. He was desperate to keep Bobby from leaving, not wanting to lose another child like he lost Steven and Lucy.
In an emotional twist, Cindy and Ian stumbled upon Bobby conversing with his late sister Lucy at her grave, a decade after he was responsible for her death. An enraged Cindy lashed out at Bobby with flowers, pushing him to confront his horrendous act against her child.
The scenes struck a chord as Bobby chose to break free from his self-imposed "prison sentence" and leave his troubled history behind. Amidst tears, both Ian and Cindy acknowledged that setting Bobby free would have been Lucy's wish.
After years of absence, Jane made a touching return to the Square, appearing for the first time since 2017, to whisk Bobby away to the Cotswolds, offering warm parting words to Ian in the process.
Bobby bid a heartfelt goodbye to his family and hopped into Jane's car, as the two made their final departure from Albert Square.
Yet, devoted EastEnders fans are speculating that Bobby's exit from Walford is not set in stone, after observing the BBC One drama's decision not to accompany his departure with Julia's Theme, which often heralds a character's permanent farewell.
On social media platform X, speculation among viewers stirred, with one commenting: "Poor form for Bobby to not get a Julia's theme. Unless he's coming back... #EastEnders."
Queries and opinions poured in as another viewer questioned: "Bobby Beale didn't get Julia's Theme as he left? #eastenders", and yet another added their view: "Bobby should have got Julia's theme in my opinion."
Taking a stand on character departures, a fan asserted: "If Karen bloody Taylor gets a Julia's Theme exit - only to pop back twice within the following six months - then Bobby Beale absolutely deserves it #EastEnders".
One fan tweeted: "Bobby's gone. If/when he returns it'll probably be another actor. I've lost count of the total number of Bobby Beales we've had (the same for Ben Mitchell too). #EastEnders".
EastEnders airs Monday - Thursday on BBC One and iPlayer
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